In his fourth consecutive appearance in the prestigious race, the 10-year-old gelding Snap Decision finally won the Grade 1 Grand National at Far Hills in New Jersey on Saturday. His victory in the $250,000 race was well-earned. Ridden by Graham Watters, Snap Decision ($7.80) stalked the pace and led briefly for the first two miles before taking the lead on the turn. Entering the stretch, Snap Decision was quickly challenged by the Irish shipper Galvin to his inside and 16-1 High Definition on his outside. Snap Decision was passed briefly in the final furlong on the uphill course, but fought back near the wire to edge Galvin by a neck. Galvin, the 2-1 favorite, finished a neck in front of High Definition in the field of nine. L’Imperator finished fourth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths. Noah and the Ark, the winner of the 2023 Grand National, finished fifth. Galvin started on Saturday for the first time since a fourth-place finish in the famous English Grand National at 4 5/16 miles at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool in April. With the win, his third graded stakes win of the year, Snap Decision has likely secured the Eclipse Award as the outstanding steeplechaser of 2024. Snap Decision ran 2 5/8 miles in 5:02.86. Owned by the Bruton Street-US partnership and trained by Jack Fisher, Snap Decision won for the 18th time in 46-race career. He has earned $1,323,334. The $150,000 winner’s share of the Grand National was Snap Decision’s biggest payday in a career that began in 2016. Snap Decision, a gelding by Hard Spun, was second in the 2021 Grand National on firm turf, finished sixth of nine on yielding turf in 2022, and was pulled up last year racing on yielding turf. The course was firm on Saturday and very much to Snap Decision’s liking, Fisher said in a phone interview after the race. “I thought the ground they had today was great,” Fisher said. “It’s got great turf and it’s not all tore up.” Snap Decision’s determined win left Fisher impressed. “I thought he was beaten coming up the hill,” he said. “It’s nice to win here because he hadn’t done it.” Snap Decision has won 3 of 4 starts this year. In the spring, he won the Grade 2 Temple Gwathey Hurdle at Middleburg, Va., on April 20 and the Grade 1 Iroquois Stakes at Percy Warner Park near Nashville on May 11. Snap Decision did not start at Saratoga. He is 10, too old to race there, according to New York Racing Association rules. Instead, Snap Decision had the summer off before finishing a well-beaten third in the Grade 3 Mariann de Tejeda Stakes at 2 1/8 miles at Foxfield Races in Charlottesville, Va. on Oct. 6. There was no betting on the Tejada. Earlier this week, Fisher described Snap Decision’s performance in that race as “a good work.” The prep race led to a historic win on Saturday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.